An army of "twitchers" queued to catch a glimpse of a rare oriental turtle dove yesterday.

More than 500 enthusiasts paid £5 each to slip into the home of ornithologist Steve Akers in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and peer into his garden beyond. The dove, normally found in Russia and Siberia, has been spotted only twice before in the UK. Mr Akers is donating all the proceeds to birth charities.